East Norwich Medical Partnership

Feedback

• Feel put off trying to get an appointment

  3

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  I know how busy they are so I feel put off trying to make an appointment, I tend to let thing get worse now before I try. I had a phone call about an ear problem, I had to try something which did not work, then try again for an appointment, if they had just looked at in in the first place it could have been sorted a lot quicker. I have had my knee done and now my hip is bad but I keep putting off trying to be seen because of the wait, it took 4 years for the knee to be sorted. Today at the flu clinic was good

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for your understanding of how busy the practice is, however, please do not put off making an appointment to discuss your health concerns. Depending on the ‘problem’ you will be booked with the appropriate clinician, this may not always be a GP. The receptionist is trained to guide you in the right direction. At times you may be asked to attend another service such as the Walk in Centre or 111 for further advice. If you are booked with a GP most of these appointments are for a telephone consultation, the doctor will talk through your concerns, and should they feel the need to see you face to face they will arrange an appointment. We have continued using the triage system since the ending of COVID as we are able to treat more patients as we no longer have patients not turn up for their pre-booked appointments. I am pleased you were happy with your flu clinic appointment and thank you for talking with our colleagues from Healthwatch. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Can never see a doctor

  3

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  I can never seem to get to see a doctor, not seen one since Covid. The queues on the phone are really long. I was bitten by a spider and my hand really swelled up, I just couldn't get through on the phone to speak to someone so I ended up at the walk in centre. I did email the surgery to say how upset I was about not hearing from them, they did not get back to me for 3 days. Today was superb and I was seen early at the flu clinic.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for speaking with one of our colleagues from Healthwatch when visiting the surgery for your flu vaccination. It would be difficult to comment on the reason why there was a delay in responding to your website submission or telephone call, without further details we are unable to comment. The surgery sees patients on an appointment basis and once we have reached capacity, we would have advised you to contact one of the other services such as 111, Walk-In Centre or A&E for same day treatment. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Good in an Emergency, not day to day

  3

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  In am emergency they have been brilliant, but not so good on the day to day stuff, it's a struggle to get an appointment. If they looked after the day to day stuff more would there be less emergency stuff? The staff are brilliant if you can get in, but the lack of staff at the Thorpe branch is frustrating, especially if medication is delivered there, you have to wait for it to be staffed before you can pick it up. I have resorted to having it sent to the Sprowston branch even though it is further away and less convenient. Today at the flu clinic was very good I was straight in and out.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for your feedback to members of the Healthwatch team when you attended for your flu vaccination. We are sorry to read that you struggle to get an appointment, routine and same day appointments are available to book with the doctors and the nursing team. On occasion patients may be asked to attend another service such as the Walk In Centre or 111 once the surgery has reached capacity. The majority of appointments for the GP/Nurse Practitioner are telephone triage, patients are seen face to face should there be a clinical need this is the decision of the clinician at the time of the call. Using this system does enable the clinicians to help more patients. At times the practice has had to make the decision to close the reception at Thorpe Health Centre, this is due to staff illness, holiday etc. The clinicians continue to work out of Thorpe when the reception is closed with patients booking in with the electronic check in screen. Please make it known when booking an appointment that you would prefer to attend Thorpe Health Centre. Flu clinics are arranged at our Sprowston Surgery where parking is not such an issue. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• They make you better

  4

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  They make you better and look after you. The receptionist took time to sort out my NHS app for me. I can usually get an appointment and it has got better in the last year. The reception staff are friendly. Today I came in for my flu jab, I got a text but when I got here was not on the list but they sorted it and gave me the injection. It would be good if the doctors saw you face to face.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for your positive comments given to a member of the Healthwatch team when attending for your flu vaccination. It was lovely to read of how helpful and friendly you have found members of the reception team. Thank you. The doctors decided to continue with the telephone triage of appointments as they can support more patients via this method of consultation. Should a GP wish to see a patient face to face due to clinical need, this will be arranged at the time of the call. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Phoning clashes with school run

  4

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  I don't have many problems with this surgery. It's just the ringing up to get an appointment clashes with doing the school run which makes it really difficult. The staff are fine, I do find a couple of the doctors a little abrupt so I try not to see them if I can. It would be good to see the same doctor about the same problem, I understand you may not be able to see the same one all the time but if you have an on going issues the continuity of the same doctor would be good so you don't have to keep repeating yourself, get you treatment switched and you did have to chase. It can be frustrating.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for your feedback to a member of the Healthwatch team when attending for your flu vaccination. For a same day appointment, patients are advised to ring from 8am, routine GP and nurse appointments can be booked at any time through the day. The doctors do not have personal lists, should you have a preferred GP you can request a routine appointment with that doctor. Several of our GP’s work part time, therefore there may be a wait. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Staff get full marks

  4

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  I don't come here very often, only when they call me in for something. Had my flu jab today and it all went fine. I got a text about the appointment then one to remind me yesterday. I was in and out quickly. Very well organised the staff get full marks.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for your lovely feedback to the Healthwatch team at your flu appointment regarding the service you receive from the surgery. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Thorpe branch often closed

  3

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  The Thorpe branch is often closed, always getting text saying unforeseen circumstances, staff illness, training and sickness. Sometimes thing they should close it altogether and just have this branch, but I guess I can travel so that would be okay for me but not for others. I can understand it as they are understaffed and with all the new building there is too many people. The reception staff here are pleasant. Everything at the flu clinic was absolutely fine, was straight in and out.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time to talk with a member of the Healthwatch team at the time of your flu clinic appointment. Unfortunately, staff working at the practice do become ill and we then must make the difficult decision to transfer clinics to the Sprowston Surgery. We currently have members of the clinical and admin team off with COVID. Permanently closing Thorpe Health Centre surgery would not be an option as we wish to continue to provide a service for all our registered patients. Patients can attend either surgery. Thank you for your thoughtful comments regarding the reception staff and management of the flu clinics. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Never had a problem

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  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  I have never had a problem getting an appointment. If I need face to face I get it and if not it's a phone call. I have used both sites with no problems. All the staff are very pleasant, helpful and efficient. I appreciate that they are busy so I don't mind waiting on the phone, I know I will get there in the end. Today for flu clinic I came early and was seen early.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient Thank you for speaking with one of our colleagues at one of our October flu clinics. Its lovely to receive such positive feedback which I shall ensure is passed on to all members of the team. Thank you. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Can't get Face to face appointment

  2

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  I have been trying to get a face to face appointment for my husband with no luck, He keeps being put with a nurse practitioner but we don't get a straightforward answer from them as to what is wrong. Took them 10 weeks to get back to us after an x-ray, I can't fault the doctor who called us about the results and what he came back with, but it was a long time to wait. I don't like to have to tell the receptionist what is wrong, I do not think it is kept confidential that way. Most of the reception team are very good but there is one who can be obnoxious. I find the nurses very good and today's flu clinic was very good, it ran on time and I had a text to remind me.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback to our colleagues from Healthwatch at your recent flu appointment. I am sorry to read of your experiences with the surgery. It is difficult to give you a direct answer without more details and, but I can give you a generalised response. Nurse Practitioners are qualified to degree level and can prescribe medications and refer into secondary care. When arranging the appointment, the receptionist will book the most appropriate person. They ask the reason for the appointment to enable the clinician to prioritise the call back. The receptionist always opens the patient record when speaking with them on the telephone, this enable them to see if the patient has any health needs or if the patient has been seen elsewhere such as 111 or Walk In centre. Should your husband been seen previously for the same ‘problem’ and this has not resolved please do explain this to the receptionist who would then be able to arrange a GP appointment. About your x-ray result, the practice must wait for these to be read by the hospital before they are sent through to the surgery. Currently there is quite a delay approx. 12 weeks due to staffing issues at the hospital which is not under the practices control. I am pleased to read you are happy with the flu clinic. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• If you see a Doctor it's fine

  3

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 10th October 2023

  Once I get through to see a doctor it's fine, but it's just the getting through. There is long waits on the phone, was on it an hour just for it to cut off for lunch time. It's so hard to get a face to face appointment. I really needed one and ended up ring 111 who said I needed to see a doctor so I ended up at the walk in centre, which is hard for me to queue outside at. Today's flu clinic ran very smoothly.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time to speak with one of colleagues from Healthwatch. I am sorry to hear of the difficulties you have been facing regarding the telephone. This is rather disappointing as we have been working to remedy this situation. We have trained more staff to help with the phones at peak times. Recently we have had a few issues with shortage of staff due to members of the reception team catching COVID. For a same day appointment, it is best to ring first thing in the morning as these appointments are limited and booked on a first come first served basis due to clinical need. Once the practice has reached capacity, we then advise patient to contact 111 or attend the Walk In Centre. I am pleased you were happy with the service provided at our flu clinic. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager